US, UK urge nationals to immediately leave Lebanon amid fears of wider escalation with Israel
Warnings come after several airlines cancel flights to Israel, Lebanon for security reasons following Israel’s assassination of senior Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr
ISTANBUL: The US and UK issued warnings on Saturday urging their nationals to leave Lebanon immediately due to concerns of a broader conflict with Israel.
The US Embassy in Beirut noted that while some flights by various airlines have been canceled, “commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon remain available.”
“We encourage those who wish to depart Lebanon to book any ticket available to them, even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow their first-choice route. US citizens who lack funds to return to the United States may contact the embassy for financial assistance via repatriation loans,” the embassy stated.
For those choosing to stay, it advised, “prepare contingency plans for emergency situations and be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period of time.”
The UK reiterated its stance, saying, “the UK continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon and advises British nationals still in the country to leave now while commercial options remain available.”
It added, “Consular experts will assist with strategic planning and responding to enquiries from British nationals to make sure they get the help and advice they need, and Border Force has deployed officers who stand ready to aid consular operations.”
The UK also mentioned that it has dispatched officials to the Middle East, including Lebanon, to offer additional support to embassy staff “as part of government’s preparatory planning for a range of possible conflict scenarios, and with regional tensions rising.”
In light of recent developments in the Middle East, airlines from the US, Netherlands, India, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, France, and Poland announced the cancellation of some flights to Israel and Lebanon for security reasons.
Lebanon is on high alert after an Israeli airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut on Tuesday, which killed senior Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr.
Tel Aviv stated that the airstrike was in retaliation for the killing of civilians in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights last week, although Hezbollah denied any involvement.
On Thursday, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah vowed a “genuine and substantial” response to Shukr’s assassination, indicating that the conflict with Israel has “entered a new phase, transitioning from merely supporting Gaza to an open major battle.”
There are growing fears of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah amid ongoing cross-border fire.
This escalation occurs amid an Israeli offensive on Gaza, which has resulted in nearly 40,000 casualties since October, following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.
